HONDA CBR500R ABS SCOOPS TWO PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS

Honda (UK) is celebrating success after the Honda CBR500R ABS model picked up winners’ accolades in the 2014 Awards presentations of two of the UK’s most well respected media titles – Motorcycle News and Visordown.com.

Widely considered as the most prestigious awards in motorcycling, the 2014 MCN Awards were announced last week with the Honda CBR500R ABS being named as the ‘Best Sub-500cc Motorcycle’ for the second consecutive year. The A2-category machine is praised for its “eyebrow-raisingly good price” as well as its excellent handling and use of power.

The CBR500R ABS also scooped the accolade of ‘Best A2 Bike’ in the inaugural Visordown Awards, announced in September. The judging panel – made up of some of the industry’s most experienced road testers – deemed the machine to be a great all-rounder with excellent power delivery and a value-for-money price tag.

“We’re really pleased to collect both the MCN and Visordown awards for the CBR500R ABS”, said Nick Campolucci, Head of Motorcycles at Honda UK. “We wanted to create something that encapsulated the performance and quality of a Honda while appealing to the everyday rider with everyday needs. We even managed an everyday price tag!”

The fully faired twin-cylinder CBR500R ABS is aimed at riders looking to move up from a 125cc machine or those holding an A2 licence and provides an excellent first big sports bike experience. For the last two years, it has been the machine of choice for the one-make European Junior Championship, which runs alongside the World Superbike Championship and allows young riders to showcase their racing talent, developing the skills necessary for a racing career at world level.

The CBR500R ABS is available now through Honda dealers nationwide priced at £5,499 OTR and can be purchased on a three-year finance deal, which includes a free Super Sports Pack until 31 December 2014.

Other Honda models to receive special mentions in the awards were the CB650F, which was named runner-up in the ‘Best Naked Middleweight’ category in the MCN Awards, and the VRF800, which was voted Readers’ Choice in the ‘Best Sport Tourer’ category in the Visordown Awards.